Microsoft plans Day One Edition releases

Microsoft is planning to release Limited runs of what the company is calling “Day One Editions” for a number of titles that will be available at launch along with the Xbox One. Titles that the company intends to give the Day One Edition treatment include Forza Motorsport 5, Ryse: Son of Rome, Dead Rising 3, and Kinect Sports Rivals.

The “Day One Editions” will include a combination of a number of things, including exclusive special DLC, exclusive special in-game content, unique unlock items, special experiences excusive to the Day One Edition, and exclusive alternate box art that will be used for the Day One Edition box only. The Day One Limited Editions will only be available during the initial production run of the Day One Limited Editions, and then only the standard versions will be available. Microsoft has not been clear if any of these titles will be offered in any other special collectors’ editions, but is looking like the Day One Editions will be the only Limited or Special Edition for these releases.

The concept of the “Day One Edition” came from the announcement that Microsoft will be including a special engraved controller with the Xbox One consoles that were pre-ordered for purchase on launch day. These controllers would come with the engraved works “Day One 2013” and an exclusive achievement. The Day One Edition Xbox One consoles will be much more limited than it looked a week ago, since pre-orders of the console have picked up significantly as a result of the reversal in Microsoft’s DRM strategy.